‘So, what’s this coin you keep looking at?’ Aki asked me once we set up camp.
Physically, she was looking much better, especially once she drank one of the four healing potions we found in the cache along with two ration bars, but I was still worried about her.
I caught her just staring into the distance on more than one occasion and her tail reminded me of that of an overstimulated cat. We were sitting near each other so occasionally I could feel it hit me on my back or rub against my side. I didn’t really mind. I was used to my cat doing it and I had my own stimming behaviour, leg shaking, which I was now desperately trying to suppress. There was no need to unnerve Aki further.
‘It’s an old coin from a place called from my world called the Austro-Hungarian Empire,’ I responded, encouraged that Aki was trying to take her mind off things.
‘Is this Oustrou-Haangarien Empire a mighty nation, then? People in my village always said that only the strongest places could call themselves empires.’
‘It was once. Not anymore. Twenty-one years after this coin was minted a war erupted. They lost. And that was that for the Empire. It was broken up into the nations that used to form it. Then another war came, and by the time that got done, Austro-Hungary was nothing but a memory. Some remember it fondly. Some don’t.’
I thought for a moment and asked.
‘Do you have any Empires here? I know nothing about this place now that I think of it.’
‘My mom once told me that this whole continent used to be ruled by the Vandarian Empire. It’s gone now too, like your Oustrou-Haangariens.’
‘I understand. If you don’t mind me asking: This is the second time you’ve mentioned your mom. Do you want me to take her to you once we are out of here?’
I was hoping that the perspective of seeing her parents again would give the girl some hope. However, when I saw Aki’s expression go blank and heard her answer me in a flat voice I immediately knew… that mistakes were made.
‘There’s no need. My mom… she died ten years ago.’
‘I’m sorry to hear that,’ I consoled her, really understanding the pain of losing one’s parent.
Having already opened that can of worms I figured I might as well get the remaining details.
‘Any other family?’
‘No. My dad left us shortly after I was born. He didn’t know my mom was a demonborn. She didn’t have any…’
Aki pointed at her horns and tail and continued.
‘After… after… my mom passed away, the village elder Matis and his wife Bergia took me in. They were good people and tried to protect me from the villagers. I was hoping to stay there… but a few days ago we received news that some inquisitor was coming because apparently, someone from the village called them… for me.’
Oh… oh no…
‘You don’t have to… if it is too painful.’ I quickly said, anger swelling inside of me.
‘No. It’s okay. The el... Matis helped me. He gave me some supplies and set me off on my way. Then… the goblins caught me. You know the rest.’
I didn’t know what to say, or if there was anything that could be said. So we just sat there in sullen silence for a few moments. Then Aki asked me with a breaking voice:
‘Miss Lilyth… why did you ask me those things? Do you want to get rid of me?’
‘No,’ I said, really meaning it. ‘How could I? No… I was just wondering if your mom wasn’t waiting, worried sick about you.
She nodded, tears flooding down her cheeks.
‘Thank you.’ Aki whispered and then added: ‘Please don’t leave me.’
‘Don’t worry kiddo. I won’t.’
I took her into my arms and held her until she quieted down.
‘Don’t worry.’ I repeated as she quietly sobbed.
After a while, Aki asked me:
‘Miss Lilyth… Can you tell me more about your world?’
I was happy to oblige her. Anything to help her take her mind off things.
So I told her stories about the wonders and discoveries. About the pyramids, the Greek philosophers, and the Internet. About the EU, the discovery of the New World, and the race to the Moon. Aki was very interested, understandably so, in Austria-Hungary so I told her of Empress Sissi, Franz Joseph, and the fall of the house of Habsburg. Of course, I had to sanitise a lot of things, as I didn’t think she needed to know about the underlying atrocities of many of those events.
I don’t know how long we sat there, Aki ending up nuzzled against me, it was maybe an hour or two, but seeing the girl’s childlike wonder upon hearing tales of Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, John Kelly or Bonnie and Clyde brought me so much solace I lost the track of time. I’m not going to lie that it wasn’t heartrending to talk about the home I would never see again, but Aki visibly regaining composure and strength with each story made me swallow the feelings and push on for her sake. Alas, all good things have to come to an end at some point.
‘I can’t believe those Amereekans and the Bryteesch almost started a war over an animal,’ Aki laughed after I was finished with another story.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
‘Yeah, what can I say? Our history is full of stupidity. For example, there was this Senator…’
As I was about to go into the story about the one time a politician blamed his daughters for him leaving his region during a time of crisis, I suddenly heard something shuffling in the corridor. All the happiness disappeared from Aki’s face, replaced with a look of grim determination. Good. She would need that to get through this, and so would I. I pointed at the orb of hellfire she kept summoned and the girl immediately extinguished it.
‘Stay here and get ready to fight,’ I whispered, drew my sword as quietly as possible, and crept up to the door.
It turned out that the Stealth increase the Huntress (as I started to refer to my predatory side) wanted would prove quite useful. Maybe I should not dismiss her suggestions out of hand.
‘You’re starting to get it.’ she helpfully chimed in.
We closed the door after entering, but I was certain the light from Aki’s orb was still visible outside. It was made out of wood, and not a perfect fit either, so the chances were that whatever was on the other side knew we were here, especially given we weren't exactly quiet.
I glanced at Aki - she was crouched by our makeshift camp, her hands on the hilts of her blades.
I silently nodded in approval. I knew she couldn't see me, but still hoped she would get the vibes I was sending. I was 90% certain I wasn't psychic, but given everything that happened today, I couldn't dismiss the possibility, especially after me being able to detect the goblins’ attacks.
‘It’s air vibrations, you fucking moron,’ the Huntress said clearly annoyed.
I didn't necessarily think this accounted for ALL the cases, but was good enough for the time being.
The shuffling getting closer brought my attention back to reality. Since my senses were sharper in the dark I started to hear the little things I wouldn't normally catch. Whatever was approaching us was definitely bipedal. The shuffling sound was interspersed with sounds of normal steps coming from on side only. And was that some occasional metal clanking?
So bipedal, only one leg fully functional and likely either armed or armoured. A zombie maybe? Or one of these revenants?
The creature stopped by the door. Something completely out of left field happened then. It knocked. Resisting the question of ‘Who’sthere’ I looked at Aki whose fingers were now bone white from gripping her swords.
Not as okay as I would like then.
The knocking came again and a male voice croaked:
‘h-help…’
Million of options ran through my head. A trap? Another hapless soul?
‘p-please help me…’
He? It? wasn't giving up. I came to a decision. Delicately, I swung the other open and extended my leg. Something staggered inside and tripped over it, falling face-first on the floor. I pounced on its back, landing on something hard, and with my sword held next to the back of its neck examined it. Or rather examined him because the figure lying on the floor was a man.
From my perspective, I could only see that he had curly black hair and wore a chainmail. The thing I was kneeling on was a wooden shield. There was something off about him though… his skin didn't look natural… the dark veins on it… and were his ears missing?
My instincts were screaming at me that there was something very wrong happening. Heeding their advice I jumped away from the body yelling:
‘Aki! Light!’
The orb of hellfire flashed in the room. The ‘man’ let out an unholy screech. Once my eyes adjusted I saw the figure rise from the floor, unsheathing a sword I didn't notice it had and taking off the shield from its back. Its movements were very jittery and it felt like there was a certain… lag to them. The figure turned towards me and I saw that its face was just a pale oval with a lipless mouth that had way too many teeth. Well… its second face at any rate, as the original was missing. The creature has burrowed out most of this poor SOB’s skull and nested itself in the hollow. What was left of his body was pale and covered in black veins. There was a nasty bloody gash running across its torso just below the rib line. I couldn't quite put my finger on why, but just looking at it made my skin crawl. The blood from the wound stained both the chainmail and the belt and satchel the figure wore.
I never expected I would say this, but can we go back to the man-eating goblins? I think I preferred them to Punchy McPunchface and Friends.
And Mister Hell 2024 there was definitely staring me down. I had no idea how and why the hell light orb hurt it, but some things just weren't meant to be known, I guessed.
‘...d-die,’ the thing stuttered hoarsely.
Well… I don’t think this thing will die if we… disable the body. So what? Rock Spikes to the face and pray for the best?
The thing deflected my projectiles with its shield with alacrity, I wouldn't have suspected it had based on its previous movements. This would complicate things. I raised my sword and prepared to fight it when the thing unveiled another surprise. A massive fleshy tentacle shot out of the gash on the thing’s stomach and wrapped itself around my torso, squeezing it.
What.
It then pulled me towards it and I stumbled forward. As I tried to regain my footing the creature lifted itself from its ‘nest’, breaking off the rest of the poor sap's skull, and another tentacle shot out from the base of the monster’s head, this time wrapping itself around my neck. I saw three more such appendages going from the creature’s skull into the body.
No amount of hentai could prepare you for this.
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Aki was watching the weird monster with a dread fascination. She hoped she would never have to see another one after the drowner nearly killed her, but the gods were not merciful enough. Then the creature grabbed Lilyth with two tentacles and this broke the stupor Aki was in. She drew her swords and leapt towards the creature. Her blades easily cut through the two tentacles. The monster recoiled back now that the tension of its attempt to hold Lilyth was gone. Aki did a quick 180 and saw her friend removing the remains of the tentacles from her body. They left some bloody streaks on her clothes and body. The creature was starting to recover so Aki lunged at it again. She deflected a blow intended to hit Lilyth, but the monster followed up with a shield bash that painfully threw Aki to the ground. She saw the creature approach her and raise its blade to skewer her. However, just as the blade descended a shadow appeared between Aki and the monster.
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‘Resistance tank, bitch!’ I shouted after the sword pierced my body.
Now that I was quite literally in arms reach of the monster I pointed my palm at its ‘face’. It made a move to bite me but I was faster. Three obsidian daggers pierced its skull. The body it was controlling slumped to the ground, as the shredded head was propelled into the wall by the force of the hit.
Level 6 Sanguine Puppet Master has been slain.
You have earned 300 experience points (800/2000 total experience points progress to level 4)
I ripped the sword out of my stomach and threw it to the ground. As I helped Aki rise from the ground I said:
‘I hate those things.’
She smiled.
‘Me too,’ she replied and pointed at the place where the sword pierced me. ‘Thank you.’
‘My pleasure. We’re a team, aren’t we?’
The look of joy on Aki’s face after I said it was worth to me more than all the experience points in the world.